1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to interactive user interfaces within video display terminal screens in computing systems, generally referred to as graphical user interfaces. The invention more particularly relates to improvements in the use of panes in a window of a graphical user interface and provides control for creating split panes and sizing the panes within a window.
2. Background of the Invention
The concept of graphical user interfaces has become well known by computer users and is incorporated in many computer systems and computer operating systems. In general, a graphical user interface operating environment can be thought of as an end user environment that is graphical, such that the end user interfaces with the environment via a variety of elements on a display screen including windows, icons, menus, pointing devices, etc. Computer systems that use graphical user interfaces were first introduced to the market by Apple.RTM. and later adopted by Microsoft.RTM. with its Windows.RTM. program, and by IBM.RTM. with OS/2.RTM. and Presentation Manager.RTM.. A common feature of such systems is that a multitude of windows or view ports can be present simultaneously on the computer display screen. Different application programs can be running concurrently in each of the windows displayed on the screen. The user can use a mouse or other input device to move back and forth between different windows, thereby making it possible to perform many different tasks.
A feature of graphical user interfaces is that previously coded programming commands are replaced by graphic images or icons on a computer screen. These icons symbolically represent a variety of objects or operations the computer system will execute when the icons are chosen. A user interacts with the computer by choosing and manipulating these icons.
The graphical user interface is a facility provided by the application framework or by the operating system of the computer which presents the icons to the user via the display screen for presentation to the user of visual aspects of a program or data. The function of the program will be that which is visually represented by the icon. Many of the methods and icons used in graphical user interfaces have become standardized. In essence, a window is a portion of a computer screen that is used to display information and a pane is a portion of a window or could also include the entire window.
Descriptions of specific implementations of graphical user interfaces are readily available and can be obtained in technical literature provided by companies who manufacture such computer systems and operating systems using graphical user interfaces, such as Sun Microsystems Inc..RTM., International Business Machines Corporation.RTM., Apple Computer Inc..RTM. and Microsoft Corporation.RTM.. Even though the use of windows and panes in computing systems today has become well known and are expected by users of such computer systems and in some respects have become somewhat sophisticated, there are still a variety of shortcomings with existing graphical user interfaces and in particular, how panes within windows can be duplicated, split and modified. Examples of the manipulation of panes in windows are described in the subsequent representative references.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,295, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Proportionally Displaying Windows on a Computer Display Screen", issued to International Business Machines Corporation.RTM. on Feb. 14, 1995, describes a method and apparatus for logically organizing windows on a display screen. The amount of time each of the windows is presented to the display screen is monitored. Windows that are active a longer period of time are displayed more distinctively than windows that are active a shorter length of time. Windows are displayed on the display screen having a window size proportional to the length of time each of the windows is active. Windows that have not been active long enough to exceed a minimum window tiling threshold are displayed as icons outside of the window.
WO 94/24657 is a PCT Published Patent Application, dated Oct. 27, 1994, to Apple Computer Inc..RTM., and is entitled "Interactive User Interface". One aspect of this patent application is the provision of an icon in the form of a split-bar box added to the normal window or pane scroll bar. By selecting a desired item or object which is in the existing pane, and dragging the item or object and dropping it on the split-bar box, a routine is invoked that creates a new pane on the screen. This opens up the display of the item or object on the new pane without affecting the display in the existing pane. Thus, in effect, by this action the window is split into two panes which are of fixed and non-variable sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,098 entitled "Flexible Window Management on a Computer Display" issued Dec. 26, 1989, to International Business Machines Corporation.RTM.. This patent description provides for managing windows in a display system and allows a user to mark an area on the display to define the dimensions and contents of a resized window. All text and attributes within the enclosed area are incorporated into the new, larger window, however the original windows do not lose their original characteristics. The marked area may span multiple windows so multiple windows may be incorporated into the newly resized window. In this manner, a window can be enlarged to incorporate the contents of several windows by enclosing several windows in the marked area.
Thus, existing technology does somewhat permit the re-sizing of panes or windows in a graphical display. It is also apparent that the use of icons in the border of frame areas of a window can be used to facilitate creating new or additional panes.